Former Leinster and Scotland coach Matt Williams joined Joe Molloy on Wednesday Night Rugby to talk about Eddie Jones.
England will hold a two-day training camp next week with an extended 45-man squad. Eddie Jones has left out some big names, including Billy Vunipola.
Jones has also announced that he will be leaving his role as England head coach after the next World Cup. From the Guardian, Jones said, "It is the last chapter for me, the last two years. I have never been so excited in my life."
Matt Williams doesn't believe a word of it. If you want to understand what Eddie Jones is doing, the last thing you do is listen to what he says.
"Don't listen to a word the man says," Williams told Molloy.
"What he's saying is a message to the media. And you just don't listen to him, but observe him very closely. That's how you learn.”
While Williams doesn't pay attention to what Jones says, he does respect him as a head coach and argues that he's still one of the best coaches in World Rugby.
"We've got to give Eddie a lot of credit.
He's made two World Cup finals with two different countries. And his performance as coach of Japan was also excellent. He won a Super Rugby title. The guy's a winner. He knows what he's doing.
I suspect he's sending a lot of messages by culling the people he's culled. Coaches, the biggest way they can affect the squad is in the people they select. Before you even say a word or get into an activity, who you physically choose is a big step.
And to get rid of the Vunipola brothers is a big statement saying that noone is above being discarded."
Jones said those players could return in future squads.
"Two years out from the World Cup, Eddie smashes his teams. He's done that right back to 2001 before the 2003 World Cup. When he took over, he really belted them. He believes you get them into shape, each player has to get to a certain number of caps to have a successful World Cup, roughly 30.
So he's bringing these young guys in, they might have seven or eight caps now...and over the next year they might get 15 or 20. The bottom end of those guys will still have around 20 or high teens if they're really going to be in the mix for the World Cup."
It's a strategy that has obviously worked in the past and it's one that Williams appreciates. So while Jones is distracting with talks of his departure, his actions are revealing his plans.
Ireland and the rest of the world need to focus on the latter.
"Never discard Eddie Jones. I've coached against him and watched him for too many years. Discard him at your peril."
Former Ireland Rugby International charged with multiple counts of fraud.
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